American Roulette and European Roulette use slightly different table layouts. The slots on their wheels number 38 and 37, respectively, owing to the extra bank slot—double zero—on the former. However, the payouts that are offered for winners, from straight-up wagers on single numbers to the even-money outside bets, are exactly the same in both versions of the game.

That explains why most Roulette guides advise playing the European version, which has a much lower House edge—2.70% versus 5.26%. With this in mind, all examples in the following sections refer to European Roulette, unless otherwise noted.

Outside Bets

On the “outside” of the field are so-called “even-money bets.” These include wagers on the numbers that are black, red, odd, even, low (1~18) and high (19~36). Each of these even-money groups contains eighteen numbers, and a win on any of them will pay 1-to-1. But players should be aware that the real odds are not 50:50. The bank slot, single zero, gives the House a slight advantage by a margin of 19:18. Playing the even-money areas exclusively is a sure but steady way to lose over the long term.

Among the more popular outside wagers are bets on groups of twelve numbers, which pay 2-to-1. These include the three vertical columns (1 down to 34, 2 down to 35, and 3 down to 36) as well as the three sequential dozens (1~12, 13~24, and 25~36). Again the true odds are not 24:12 as 2-to-1 payout might imply. The real ratio is 25:12 in the House’s favor.

Placing a combination of outside bets is a good way to improve the likelihood of a winner on each spin. For example, instead of betting only on the high (19~36), one unit wagered on the first dozen (1~12) and two put on the high will cover 30 of the 37 numbers. It wins one unit if the high comes up, and breaks even if any of the lowest twelve numbers appears.

Inside Bets

The 37 numbers on the “inside” of the roulette table layout can be bet individually or in groups. A “straight-up” bet on a single number yields the highest payout—35-to-1. Most players will make a number of straight-up wagers on each spin, playing hunches, choosing lucky numbers, or backing certain winning numbers to repeat.

Among the numerous inside bets that can be placed directly on the field of numbers are groups of two (so-called “splits” or pairs) paying 17-to-1, groups of three (“trios,” “streets” or rows) paying 11-to-1, and groups of four (“corners” or “blocks”) paying 8-to-1. It is also possible to wager on six numbers at one (a “six-line” or “double row”), which has a payout of 5-to-1.

One special wager that is available only on the American wheel is a group of five numbers (0-00-1-2-3). When it wins, the payout is 6-to-1. However, this combination gives the House a particularly unfair advantage, as the real odds are 33:5 against, not the 30:5 one might expect of a 6-to-1 wager.

Sector Bets

Another betting option offered at some tables, especially in France and Macau, is wagering on sections of the wheel—so-called “sector betting.” For example, it is possible to bet on any of the four “quadrants” of wheel, each of them containing nine numbers. They run counterclockwise from the zero and are known simply as the quadrants 1, 2, 3, and 4. There are usually no betting areas for these on the table. A request must be made to the croupier in what is known as “call betting,” and he/she will hold the wager until the result is known. A win pays 3-to-1.

Other sector bets have lyrical names, such as “orphans,” “neighbors,” and “friends of zero,” but only certain casinos offer them. When starting out, exotic sector wagers are best avoided. Instead, creating patterns of inside and outside bets, combined with some form of betting system, is the surest way to generate a steady flow of payouts.